How to use Tinkercad? What is its advantages over the other software of simulation?

Introduction

Tinkercad is a free 3d modelisation program which is only online. You can use it on a browser. This software is known for its simplicity and easy to use.

Since its release in 2011, it’s became a know plateform for creating 3d printing models and electronics circuit.

Sommaire masquer

1 How to use Tinkercad? What is its advantages over the other software of simulation?

1.1 Introduction

1.2 Register an account

1.3 Discover of Tinkercad

1.3.1 A) Basic components

1.3.2 B) Circuit already done on Arduino

1.4 First circuit

1.4.1 How to simulate sensor which need an external action? (sun, temperature, humain...)

1.5 Tinkercad, best simulator on Arduino?

1.5.1 What simulator to choose for a group project?

Register an account

Tinkercad is a free software which work online, that’s mean that you don’t have to download anything. You can find the website on this link.

Once clicked on Join Now, you can see this:

To create an account you have to choose between a personnal account, student or teacher.

For this course we will click on personnal account.

Then you have to choose the country you live on, your birthdate and a password.

Once the register finished, you will see different categories: 3D design, circuit, codeblocks and lessons.

The 3D Design is useful to do 3D sketchs. The Lessons parts is useful to see every courses you have follow. (if you have created a student account).

Finally, the category circuits will be used to creat your own electronics circuit on Arduino and simulate it.

Therefore we click on create new circuit.

Discover of Tinkercad

Here is what you can see once we have created a new circuit:

As you can see, there are many options: start simulation to simulate your circuit, Code to write your program and at the right side you can see a column with all the components.

A) Basic components

We will see now the components that you can use on Tinkercad:

Here you will find the basics components useful to do your circuit: resistor, capacitor, push button.

You will find other sensors such as ultrasonic sensor or temperature sensor.

Lastly you will find measureing device to verify if your circuit is working well: a multimeter and an oscilloscope.

B) Circuit already done on Arduino

There are some circuits already done that want be useful to save time.

You can modify it as you want. You will find in the category circuits already done some basic project with component like a servo-motor, a potentiometer…

This is an advantage of Tinkercad because you have a circuit and a program which work directly, therefore you can easily learn how to use Arduino.

Here is an example with a LCD screen:

By simulating this circuit, we can see the message Hello word on the screen. We can modify this message on the program or add new component for your project.

First circuit

We will see now how to create our first circuit by starting from a white sheet. In this circuit we will use a LED and make it blink.

a) Creating the circuit

Once on the circuit, we will click on create new circuit:

In the column basic components, we will choose Arduino card, resistor and LED.

All theses components can be modified:

We can choose the name of the LED and its color.

We can choose the name of the resistor and its ohm value. The first time you will see a value in kilo-ohm.

This is what we get:

B) Programming of the circuit

Now we have to write our program. You have two possibilities: You can write your code by placing some blocs or you can write each instruction line by line. The both methods is communicating, that’s mean you can start your program with blocs and finish it with lines.

Programming by writing:

Programming by block:

To make the led blink, we have to set the pin 2 because we have pluged our LED on the pin 2 of the Arduino card. The choose HIGH to turn on the LED and LOW to turn off the LED.

C) Simulation

This what we get by starting the simulation:

Serial Monitor

There is a serial monitor in Tinkercad, to read and display the value of the sensor for example. You can use only when you have started the simulation.

How to simulate sensor which need an external action? (sun, temperature, humain...)

Now we will see how to use sensor which need an external action. We will take the example of the photoresistor which need the sun to have a correct value. Another example can be a human to press a push button for example.

The photoresistor

This is an example of a circuit with a photoresistor:

As we can see, by starting the simulation there is a sun which appeared and permits to change the lightness received by the photoresistor. We will see this changing value in the serial monitor.

The Potentiometer

We will see now a component which needs humain action to see its value changing.

Here is an example of a circuit:

Here we turn the potentiometer by ourself to see the value changing during the simulation.

Tinkercad, best simulator on Arduino?

Tinkercad is complete simulation software that rivals its competitors. We will see now the advantages and disadvantages of this software.

The advantages of Tinkercad:

Circuit very aesthetic and you can simulate it. It’s not often that a software has the both
Tinkercad is free, while its competitors are not.
This simulator works with internet, that’s mean that you have always the up to date software version for free

What simulator to choose for a group project?

Tinkercad is the best software to do a group project because you will use it on internet, that’s mean by creating a common account you can all work on the same project. On other simulator, you have to exchange file which is less easy.

The disadvantages of Tinkercad:

Tinkercad doesn’t have a lot of components for your circuit. It’s possible that you won’t find the one you want. Furthermore it’s not possible to add components whereas on Fritzing and Flowcode it is possible..

Conclusion

Finally, Tinkercard is a good simulator to make a circuit easily, aesthetic and a circuit you can simulate. You have just to be sure that all components you want to use are available!

If you are still hesitating, you can read the course about Fritzing.